Northwest Indiana’s Erie Lackawanna Trail offers an experience of beautiful contrasts. The region boasts sandy dunes, a glimmering Great Lake and windswept prairies, but also has a rich industrial and railroad heritage, some of the largest cities in the state, and the urbanization and cultural vibrancy that comes with its close proximity to Chicago. The diversity and bounty of these surroundings is well matched by the area’s growing system of interconnected multi-use trails that’s allowing near-seamless people-powered transportation between these natural and manmade assets. The nearly 18-mile Erie Lackawanna Trail alone connects to or is in close range of half dozen other trails.

Public access is a key component of the LA River revitalization, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has been a steady supporter of the bike path, which is more than half complete, but with some challenging gaps remaining, including near downtown Los Angeles.

Earlier in 2016, we posted "Ten Trails That Helped Build the Movement" in honor of RTC’s 30th anniversary in 2016. But of course, with almost 2,000 completed rail-trails across the country, we just scratched the surface. In 1986, there were only 250 miles of rail-trails. Three decades later—thanks to a lot of passionate people—rail-trails have transformed America.
Here are 10 more game-changing rail-trails (in no particular order) that have had an impact, as destinations, recreation magnets, economic drivers or transportation connectors, in the U.S.

Ricker Miller of Andover guides a recovered 1,400-pound milepost back into its proper place beside the Northern Rail Trail. | Photo by Ed Hiller

Here’s a fun one for all of you railroad history buffs; volunteers have just returned another 1,400-pound granite milepost to its original position along the Northern Rail Trail in Boscawen, New Hampshire—part of an ongoing effort to recover and return all 58 to their original positions between Concord and Lebanon. Only seven remain missing!

Heritage Rail Trail County Park | Photo by John Gensor, courtesy Steam Into History

The visionary Grand History Trail began rather humbly. Nearly a decade ago, Don Gogniat was sitting at a meeting of the York County Rail Trail Authority, and as he listened to those around him talking about the region’s trails, he began quietly sketching them out on a napkin.
As he added the trails line by line, he saw something exciting begin to take shape: a map of a potential 250-mile Grand History Trail connecting dozens of historical sites and historically significant cities, including the nation’s capital, Annapolis, Baltimore, York, Hanover and Gettysburg.

This Independence Day weekend, celebrate the birth and growth of America by riding or striding into the past. These former railroad corridors are deeply rooted in American tradition, trials and triumphs, and they provide accessible and inexpensive getaways. We hope you enjoy this list of Top 10 Rail-Trails for American History!

The Switchback Gravity Railroad, built in 1827, was only the second railroad built in America. It ran nine miles, hauling coal from Summit Hill down to the town of Mauch Chunk and the Lehigh Canal in east central Pennsylvania.

American Focus, Inc. is producing a documentary film about the Blue Ridge Tunnel, a 19th-century railroad tunnel located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Crozet, Va. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Wagner, the film will have a dual purpose: to document an important and fascinating chapter in Virginia history, and to provide a case study of how local preservationists work together to save and celebrate their places and their stories.

Minnesota is full of hidden treasures. Tucked away between the bluffs of the southeast corner of the state, a 60-mile, paved trail meanders along the winding, trout-filled Root River. This region is rich with the wildlife, scenery and Scandinavian heritage that’s so celebrated in Minnesota, and it can all be seen along the Root River Trail System!

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Iron Horse State Park winds its way through the Mountains to Sound Greenway as it travels more than 100 miles, from Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend, and heads east across Washington State.